The present invention relates to apparatus for use as a sling to support the bladder in a position calculated to relieve female urinary stress incontinence. More specifically, the invention relates to a device in the nature of a flexible sling which is positioned by a surgeon below a patient's bladder, with sutures extending from opposite sides of the sling anchored to the pubic bone.
The prior art includes sling devices for supporting internal body organs. Such slings have included rectangular strips of biologically compatible material with surgical thread attached to each side of the strip for anchoring to the abdominal wall or the pubic bones. However, the flexible strip has a tendency to bunch up along the longitudinal axis, thereby in effect becoming narrower and less suited to perform its supporting function.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an implantable device in the nature of a bladder-supporting sling with long-term performance superior to that of prior art devices of this type.
It is a further object to provide a bladder sling for alleviation of female urinary stress incontinence including a flexible strip of material with sutures extending from opposite sides for attachment to an anchoring body part wherein the strip does not tend to fold or bunch along the longitudinal axis, thereby reducing the effective width of the strip.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.